Whoever said political uncertainty will deter tourists from a destination got it completely wrong for the UK, which welcomed more overseas visitors during the year of the Brexit referendum than ever before.
New figures released by VisitBritain revealed that 2016’s controversial vote didn’t do much to discourage international tourists from visiting the region, but rather it seems to have enticed them.
Some 37.3 million overseas holidaymakers travelled to the UK last year – that’s up three percent on the prior year AND an all-time record in international visitors for the destination.
A closer look at the figures revealed that more overseas tourists than ever before flew to the country months after the referendum, with a record 3.2 million visits from October to December, up 11 percent on the same period in 2015.
The tourist bureau said there was a strong seven percent growth in visitors from the US – where people were feeling Trumped, I mean trapped by their own political uncertainty – and Canada. Plus there was an all-time record of 25.3 million arrivals from other European countries.
According to the UK’s Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch, latest results indicate that the UK is “one of the world’s must-visit destination” because of its many qualities from its “thriving cities to its stunning scenery and renowned cultural attractions”.
VisitBritain Chief Executive Sally Balcombe, added that the strong growth in inbound visits proves British tourism’s “continued ability to compete for international visitors and deliver economy growth across our nations and regions”.
“We must seize the opportunity to build on this, boosting visitor spending by driving home the message of welcome and value particularly in our high spending markets such as China and the US and the valuable European market.”
Sally Balcombe, VisitBritain Chief Executive
Latest flight booking data shows that 2017 is off to a strong start with air tickets to the UK up 16 percent for February to April compared to the same period last year.